James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX) Short Interest Update

James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 12,372,801 shares, a decline of 36.3% from the July 15th total of 19,436,113 shares. Approximately 2.2% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 7,723,419 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days.

James Hardie Industries Trading Up 3.2%

NYSE JHX opened at $30.21 on Thursday. James Hardie Industries has a one year low of $16.46 and a one year high of $31.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of $17.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 120.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.77. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $26.60 and its 200-day moving average is $23.41.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The construction company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.42 billion. James Hardie Industries had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 2.69%.James Hardie Industries’s revenue for the quarter was up 63.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.29 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that James Hardie Industries will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in James Hardie Industries in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Modus Advisors LLC bought a new stake in James Hardie Industries in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in James Hardie Industries by 3,431.1% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,589 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,544 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 11,238.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,474 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,461 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of James Hardie Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors own 7.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on JHX shares. Stephens upped their price objective on James Hardie Industries from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Barclays upgraded James Hardie Industries from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $26.00 to $35.00 in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $34.00 price target on James Hardie Industries in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Raymond James Financial set a $35.00 price target on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of James Hardie Industries from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.50.

About James Hardie Industries

James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE: JHX) is a global manufacturer of high-performance fiber cement building products. The company specializes in exterior cladding, trim and soffit, as well as interior backerboard solutions designed for residential and commercial construction. By combining cement, sand and cellulose fibers, James Hardie produces durable, low-maintenance materials that resist moisture, fire and termite damage, catering to builders, contractors and homeowners through a network of distributors and retail channels.

The company’s flagship products include Hardie® Plank® and Hardie® Panel® siding systems, Hardie® BackerBoard® for tile applications, and a range of architectural trim solutions.